Soldier Groups and Negro Soldiers

Soldier Groups and Negro Soldiers is a sociological and historical examination of the informal dynamics that shape military life, with particular attention to the U.S. Army’s treatment of African American troops. The study is organized into two broad parts: the role of the “primary group” in sustaining morale and performance within military organizations, and the history and consequences of racially segregated units. Building on Ardant du Picq’s classic insights about morale and esprit de corps, the book argues that soldiers’ effectiveness depends not only on formal command structures but also on the informal, face-to-face networks of comradeship that form within companies. These primary groups—small clusters of soldiers bound by trust, mutual reliance, and shared risk—mediate the rigid patterns of army bureaucracy, enabling cooperation, resilience under stress, and adaptation to the realities of combat. Drawing on data from World War II research, psychiatric studies, and sociological fieldwork, the analysis highlights how informal groups coexist with, and sometimes compensate for, the limitations of hierarchical command.

The second half of the book explores the distinctive challenges and outcomes for African American soldiers in the twentieth century. It traces the evolution of racial policies from exclusion in the Navy and segregation in the Army to gradual integration in the Air Force and, eventually, the Army itself. By situating Negro soldiers’ experiences within the framework of primary group dynamics, the study reveals how segregation hindered the formation of cohesive combat groups and weakened both morale and performance. Conversely, moments of integration in Korea and beyond demonstrated the potential for interracial primary groups to foster solidarity and effectiveness, undermining the rationale for segregation. Soldier Groups and Negro Soldiers thus contributes to both military sociology and the history of race in the armed forces, showing how informal group processes intersect with institutional policies to shape military culture, combat performance, and the broader struggle for racial equality in the U.S. armed services.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1952.